Ever since they became the Twin Black and White Twin Lotus sisters, and with the lesson of Du Rutao fresh in their minds, Hei Xu Yinsheng and Bai Xu Yinsheng had reached a tacit agreement. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Xiao Hei would go out. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Xiao Bai would go out. Sundays were reserved for both of them to stay home and play games.
Today was Xiao Hei’s turn to head out. Early that morning, she had been dragged away by Chen Chenyu to cut stones. He claimed to have found a piece of high-quality jade from Nanmian, one where the raw stone itself was a deep, blood red.
Xiao Bai remained behind to guard the villa. She lay comfortably on the sofa, munching on potato chips while absentmindedly scrolling through a boring soap opera, enjoying herself immensely.
On the 36-inch large screen, the lead actors shared a soulful confession, immediately followed by a long kissing scene.
Watching the beautiful imagery of the kiss on the television, Xiao Bai couldn’t help but brush her fingertips against her own lips. They felt soft, warm, and tender.
They say that when a woman reaches a certain age, she begins to long for love. Bai Xu Yinsheng wasn’t sure if she was currently experiencing those spring-like yearnings.
However, she licked her lips and looked down at the Brass Ring on her middle finger.
The Ring of the Nibelung — pay a price to grant a wish.
‘Dreams Come True. At the cost of not eating sugar for one week, let me experience the taste of a heart fluttering.’
***
The summer nights in Bin Hai City always held a rare, gentle quality. The sea breeze was icy and cool, feeling like the incredibly delicate hands of a woman stroking one’s face, carrying the faint, salty tang of seawater.
The streetlights cast a shallow glow, blending with the flowing, flickering lights of passing cars to create soft, warm halos of light.
“You’re drunk again,” the man beside him said, offering support while lightly scolding him.
“I know,” Xu Yinsheng mumbled dizzily. “I… I… I didn’t expect the kick from mixing whiskey and vodka to be so strong. But I didn’t lose out; I drank three of them under the table.”
“Hahaha, none of them have anyone to pick them up. I bet they’ll be lying in that bar all night. I hope they don’t get rheumatism, hahahaha.”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Zhao Yicheng remained silent for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Xu Yinsheng suddenly shout, “Old Zhao, look! What’s that up ahead?”
Zhao Yicheng looked up.
The pedestrian street ahead was paved with small black and white square tiles. They were arranged grid by grid, row by row, crisscrossing yet distinct, resembling a black and white chessboard.
“Doesn’t it look like the tile-stepping game we played when we were kids?”
With that, Xu Yinsheng let go of the other man’s support. His feet deliberately stepped only on the white tiles, his hopping and skipping gait making him look like a happy little rabbit.
Seeing how absorbed he was in the game, Zhao Yicheng silently lagged behind by half a step, maintaining a protective distance that was neither too close nor too far, ensuring he wouldn’t accidentally slip and fall.
The clean, jet-black short hair rose and fell as he moved, revealing exquisite features and the elegant curve of a neck. A faint, milky scent spread with every breath, lingering at the tip of the nose and making one want to step forward and take a bite.
“By the way, Old Zhao, I have something to tell you.” After skipping along like this for a while, Xu Yinsheng suddenly turned around. Those watery black eyes carried a faint, drunken shimmer as he looked up with a smile at the tall, upright man before him.
“Go ahead,” Zhao Yicheng nodded.
“I wanted to say —” Xu Yinsheng let out a drunken hiccup and wobbled in place for a few steps, unsure if he was sobering up or if he was already completely numb from the alcohol.
He raised his hand, gave a big thumbs-up, and smiled brilliantly.
“Thank you, good brother.”
Thank you for all the help you’ve given me over the years. Thank you for always cleaning up my messes and handling the aftermath whenever I caused trouble. Thank you for always silently looking after me from behind.
“I’m lucky to have you.”
Zhao Yicheng fell silent for a moment.
Suddenly, he stepped forward and pulled Xu Yinsheng into a firm embrace, resting his head on the other’s soft shoulder.
“I’m the one who should be saying thank you.”
In an instant, a tingling, numbing sensation surged from the depths of the drunken Xu Yinsheng’s heart. It felt like a tiny electric current passing through his chest and flowing through his entire body… His heart felt as though it were being washed over by waves, thumping incessantly.
“Ahem, Old Zhao, can you not hold me for so long? Even though there’s no one around this late at night, being held like this is really uncomfortable.” Xu Yinsheng’s face turned a shade of red.
***
‘Is this the taste of a fluttering heart?’
Her thoughts gradually returned to the present. The white-haired girl opened her eyes, which shimmered with a faint light, as if stars were flickering within them.
‘I actually felt my heart flutter that early on?’ she whispered in disbelief.
‘That makes no sense.’ Bai Xu Yinsheng clenched her teeth, her grip tightening until she crushed the potato chips in her hand into powder.
‘How could I possibly be attracted to that dog, Zhao Yicheng?!’
‘If he really loved me, he wouldn’t imprison me, bully me, and possess me for his own selfish gain. Why couldn’t he be like the devoted second male leads in novels, sacrificing for me, considering my feelings, and standing silently by my side…’
Speaking to this point, Bai Xu Yinsheng suddenly stopped. According to her values, everyone had the right to freely pursue love. If she followed her own logic just now — forcing someone else to sacrifice for her — wouldn’t she become the very “scumbag” she often criticized?
Shaking her head to dispel the strange thought, Bai Xu Yinsheng continued to stuff potato chips into her mouth. ‘Forget it, who cares? Anyway, there’s no way I’ll ever like him.’
The front door creaked open. Without even thinking, she knew it was Zhao Yicheng, who had volunteered to be a Pal. He carried bags of ingredients to the coffee table, a gentle smile on his face.
“Little Yin, what do you want for lunch?”
“I want Spicy Fish. Xiao Hei said she wants Sweet and Sour Ribs. Also, let’s have some Seaweed and Egg Soup,” Bai Xu Yinsheng replied while munching on her chips.
“Alright, I’ll start right away.”
Pal Zhao set the ingredients down on the tea table and turned to wash his hands. Bai Xu Yinsheng watched his retreating back, unable to stop her mind from drifting back to the memory she just experienced.
Her fair, small hand gently pressed against her chest as a strange emotion welled up inside her.
Suppressing that odd feeling, she looked at the ingredients on the table. There appeared to be a two-pound portion of ribs, a live fish, a bag of rock sugar, and various other items.
‘He certainly knows my tastes well.’
Thinking this, Xu Yinsheng opened the bag of rock sugar. She took out a translucent, cool piece of sugar and popped it into her mouth. It was icy and cold, carrying a thread of sweetness.
She couldn’t help but squint her eyes in satisfaction.
Pal Zhao took the ingredients into the kitchen and began busying himself. As Xu Yinsheng watched his busy silhouette, her thoughts returned to the memory.
“Thank you, good brother.” “I’m lucky to have you.”
Suddenly, a searing, burning sensation erupted from her middle finger. It felt as if the flame of a lighter had brushed against her skin; a stinging burn traveled from her fingertip straight to her brain!
The Brass Ring burst into a brilliant light, and a message suddenly flashed through Xu Yinsheng’s mind.
**[You have violated the cost.]**
**[The violator will be punished — Born of love, dying of love: Love Curse.]**